BUTTON ATTACHMENT Filed April 24, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,399,432 BUTTON ATTACHMENT Francis G. Merser, Framingham, Mass., assignor to Dennison Manufacturing Company, Framingham, Mass a corporation of Nevada Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 512,350, Dec. 8, 1965. This application Apr. 24, 1967, Ser. No. 633,256 v 4 Claims. (Cl. 24-90) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The combination of a sheet of fabricor other material, a button and a fastener; for attaching the button tothe sheet, the fastener comprising a strand having a bar on one end and a head on the other end, the strand and bar being integral and the strand being flexible and resilient to facilitate insertion of thebar through the sheet and button.

This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 512,350, filed Dec. 8, 1965, and now abandoned.

The conventional method of attaching buttons to fabrics or garments, either by machine or by hand, is with thread. The button is held in place and a needle containing thread is inserted through each of two, three or more holes in the button and into the material several times until sufficient strands of thread exist to securely hold the button to the material. The thread must then be tied or otherwise fastened so that it will not unravel. In some instances, where it is desired to elevate the button from the material, a pedestal effect is achieved by laterally wrapping the strands with additional thread. The disadvantages to this method of securing buttons to fabric or garments are several. First of all, it is a slow and tedious job and the button can soon become detached if only one of the threads is severed or if the ends of the thread are not secured properly.

Objects of the present invention are to avoid the aforesaid disadvantages and to provide an attachment which can be applied quickly and easily in a simple operation, which may provide a pedestal effect, and which is strong and durable.

The present invention involves a fastener for fastening material to a button having a perforation, the fastener comprising a shank for insertion through the perforation and material, a head on one end of the shank to set on the button, and a head on the other end of the shank to seat on the material, one of the heads comprising a bar small enough to pass through the perforation and disposed in a transverse position relatively to the shank, the length of the shank approximating the combined thickness of the button and material, the bar and shank comprising an integral piece of plastic with the bar disposed in a transverse position relatively to the shank, the shank being flexible so that it can be bent to bring the bar longitudinally of the shank for insertion through the button and material, and the shank being elastic so that it automatically returns the bar to said transverse position after insertion. Preferably the shank comprises polyurethane, the bar seats on said material and the other head seats on the button.

For the purpose of illustration a typical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in which FIG. 1 is a front view of the combination;

FIG. 2 is a section on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged section on line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 5 to 8" are views on the line 22 of FIG. 1

3,399,432 Patented Sept. 3,

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showing successive stages of the insertions of the fastener through the fabric and button; 7

FIG. 9 is a view like FIG. 1 showing a modification; ,v FIG. 10 is a section on line 10-10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a similar section showing how the fastener is inserted; p 7

FIG. 12 is a view like FIG. 9 showing a button with two perforations;

FIG. 13 is a section on line 13-'13 of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged plan.v of the fastener of the modified fastener shown in FIGS. 9 to 13; and 1 7 FIGS. 15 and 16 are side views of the modified fastener.

The particular embodiment of the invention shownin FIGS. lto 8 comprises a piece. of fabric F, a button B and a fastener comprising a shank 1, a head in the form of a bar 2 and a crossbar 3. The fastener is preferably made as an integral piece of thermoplastic ma.- terial.

According to the present invention the button has a central opening 4 and, on its front face, an elongate recess 6 to receive the crossbar 3. The mouth of the recess has shoulders 7 which are spaced apart a distance slightly less than the diameter of the crossbar to hold the crossbar in the recess. Owing to the resiliency of the crossbar, and in some cases also of the button, the crossbar can be snapped past the shoulders easily.

The fastener is preferably applied by means of a tool comprising a needle 11 having a cylindrical opening 12 to receive the crossbar of the fastener from the rear end of the needle and a slot 13 to accommodate the filament 1, the width of the slot being less than the diameter of the crossbar. Near its forward end the needle has an opening 15 through which the crossbar may be ejected by means of a plunger 14. FIG. 5 shows the forward end of the filament emerging through the opening in the button, FIG. 6 shows the crossbar partly ejected through the opening 15 by the plunger 14, FIG. 7 shows how the crossbar flexes as it is ejected, and FIG. 8 shows the crossbar in position for the needle to be withdrawn, after which the crossbar assumes the position shown in FIG. 2. When the head 2 of the fastener seats on the fabric F the fabric may be compressed somewhat and the shank may be stretched. Owing to its resiliency the shank contracts as the crossbar 3 snaps into the recess 6.

The modifications shown in FIGS. 9 to 16 are similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 8 and corresponding parts are correspondingly numbered. However the head 2' of the modified fastener is shaped to fit the perforation of an ordinary button and the fastener is inserted first through the button and thence through the fabric F' as shown in FIG. 11. The fastener comprises a molded elastomer such as polyurethane and the length of the shank 1 is approximately equal to the combined thickness of the button and fabric. In inserting the fastener the strand is stretched until the bar 3 has passed all the way through the fabric after which the strand contracts to pull the bar into the position shown in FIG. 10. If a pedestal effect is desired the button may be provided with a hub as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. The fastener may be inserted in any suitable way as for example with a tool as above described.

Preferably the mouth of the button perforation is flaring, the head of the fastener which seats on the button is tapered to fit the flaring mouth and the exposed face of this head is substantially flush with the face of the button, as shown in FIGS. 10, 11 and 13, thereby to present a neat appearance and hold the button more firmly in place.

The modification shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 is like that shown in FIGS. 9 to 11 except in that the button has two perforations as usual and two fasteners are em p y n It should be understood that the present invention is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

1. For fastening material to a button having a perforation, a fastener comprising a shank for insertion through the perforation and material, a first head on one end of the shank to seat on the button, and a second head on the other end of the shank to seat on the material, said secondrhead comprising a bar small enough to .pass through the perforation, the length of the shank approximating the combined thickness of the button and material, the bar andshank comprising anintegral piece of "plastic with the bar disposedin a transverse position relatively to the shank, the shank being flexible so that it can be bent to bring the bar longitudinally of the shank for insertion through the perforation and material, and the shank being resilient so that it automatically returns the bar to said transverse position after insertion, and said first head being tapered toward the shank to fit in the mouth of said perforation.

tending u ht enettqra qa a a e ia sthcad 2. A fastener according to claim 1 wherein said plastic 95 is polyurethane.

3. The combination of a sheet of material, a button having a perforation, a fastener comprising a shank exon one end of the shank seating on the button, and a second head on the other end of the shank seating on the material, said second h'ead comprising a bar small enough to pass through the perforation and material, the length of the shank approximating the combined thickness of the buttonand material, the"-b'ar and shank comprising'an integral piece of plastic with tlie bardisposed in a'transverse'po'sition relatively to'thesha'nk, themouth of said perforation isflaring, and said first headbeing tapered toward the shank to'fit insaid flaring mouth of the perforation. a

4. The combination,of:claim.-3,wherein the exposed face of said first head is substantially flush with said face of the button. W